Habakkuk 3:3a-The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come From Teman and Mount Paran at His Second Advent

Habakkuk 3:3 God will travel form Teman. Then, the Holy One will travel from Mount Paran. Selah. His majesty will cover the heavens so that His praise will certainly fill the earth. (My translation)

As we have noted, Habakkuk 3:3-19 is a prayer which the prophet Habakkuk offered up to the God of Israel, which he directed to be sung in the temple as part of the worship of the God of Israel.

We also noted that Habakkuk 3:3-15 is prophetic referring to the events of the seventieth week and Second Advent of Jesus Christ but also alluding to the mighty acts of God which He performed on behalf of the nation of Israel.

Habakkuk 3:3 contains four prophetic statements with an interjection placed after the second.

The first prophetic statement asserts that God will travel from Teman and the second asserts that the Holy One will travel from Mount Paran.

Both of these prophetic statements refer to the actions of the Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Advent.

Like the plural form of the word noun ʾĕlōhîm (אֱלֹהִים), the singular form ʾělôah (אֱלוֹהַּ), “God” in Habakkuk 3:3 emphasizes the transcendent character of the Lord God of Israel, who the New Testament identifies as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This word refers to the Lord’s complete sovereign power over all creation and every creature and over every nation and ruler as evidenced by fulfilled prophecy.

The implication of Habakkuk’s use of ʾělôah (אֱלוֹהַּ) here in Habakkuk 3:3 emphasizes that the Lord would sovereignly intervene and judge every unrepentant, unregenerate citizen of every nation in the world during the seventieth week of Daniel and at His Second Advent.

The adjective qā·ḏôš (קָדוֹשׁ) “the Holy One” which appears in the second prophetic statement describes the Lord as unique in that He is equal to the Father and the Spirit because He shares the same divine attributes of these two, which sets Him apart from other human beings and angels.

Therefore, this term qā·ḏôš (קָדוֹשׁ), “the Holy One” in Habakkuk 3:3 is expressing the purity of the Lord Jesus Christ’s character or moral perfection and excellence and means that He can have nothing to do with sin or sinners unless they accept Him as their Savior.

This word is also used in Habakkuk 1:12.

The word (qā·ḏôš). “Holy One” in this verse describes the God of Israel as being unique and pure in the sense of possessing superior moral qualities and possessing certain essential qualities in contrast to human being and angels.

In other words, it describes God as being distinct from His creatures and creation and expressing His absolute perfect character which is sinless in contrast to both angels and human beings.

Therefore, this word speaks of God’s transcendent character as creator and sovereign ruler over all of creation and every creature.

This term qā·ḏôš (קָדוֹשׁ), “the Holy One” is employed in Habakkuk 3:3 since it indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ will exercise His righteous indignation against His enemies at His Second Advent, which will be an expression of His holy character and standards.

The reference to “Teman” in Habakkuk 3:3 refers to a prominent city of Edom and the prepositional phrase mēhar-pāʾrān (מֵֽהַר־פָּארָ֖ן), “from Mount Paran” refers to the mountainous region which was geographically located to the west of Edom where the city of Teman was located.

It was across the valley Ghor between the Sinai Peninsula to the south and Kadesh Barnea to the north which was another mountainous area.

A comparison of these first two prophetic statements recorded in Habakkuk 3:3 indicate that at His Second Advent, the Lord Jesus Christ will travel from Teman, and then to Mount Paran.

As we noted earlier, these first two prophetic statements in Habakkuk 3:3 echo Isaiah 63:1-3 since it asserts that the Lord comes from Edom with His garments covered in the blood of His enemies, which will take place at His Second Advent.

As we can see, this passage records God coming from Edom with blood on His garments which has never happened in history but will at the Lord Jesus Christ’s Second Advent according to Revelation 19:13 and 15.

Though these first two statements in Habakkuk 3:3 are prophetic describing two events connected to the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, they would remind Habakkuk and the faithful remnant of Judah at the end of the seventh century B.C. the Lord God of Israel making Himself known to Israel in the giving of the Law.

After the second prophetic statement recorded in Habakkuk 3:3, we have the interjection sě·lā(h) (סֶלָה), “Selah” and is an unknown musical or liturgical marker and was evidently some type of liturgical direction for those participating in performing a psalm.

These first two statements in Habakkuk 3:3 not only echo Isaiah 63:1-3 but also Obadiah 18, which describes the Israelites destroying Edom, which they will accomplish through their Savior-King, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Obadiah 18 “In fact, Jacob’s descendants will as a certainty possess the characteristic quality of fire. Even, Joseph’s descendants will certainly possess the characteristic quality of a flame. However, Esau’s descendants will as a certainty possess the characteristic quality of straw. Therefore, they will certainly burn them so as to consume them. Consequently, absolutely no remnant will exist with regards to Esau’s descendants!” Indeed, the Lord has issued the decree. (My translation)

“Esau” (ē·śāw) refers to the people who descended from Jacob’s brother Esau. It is synonymous with the proper noun ʾěḏôm, “Edom” which appeared in Obadiah 1 since the name Esau in this verse is a synecdoche of part for whole referring to the Edomites.

Both words refer to the people who descended from Jacob’s brother Esau and who settled in the region south of the Dead Sea, north of the Red Sea and East of the Rift valley and which sometimes expanded west into the Negev.

There are three interpretations regarding the fulfillment of these prophecies recorded in Obadiah 18.

The first is that some believe that these prophecies were fulfilled in the sixth century B.C. by the Babylonians through the three invasions led by Nebuchadnezzar (605, 597 and 586 B.C.), the invasions led by Nabonidus (556-539 B.C.) and one of his successors.

Some contend that these prophecies have been fulfilled in the second century B.C. since the Edomites were eventually driven out of their homeland by the Nabateans in the fourth century B.C.

They settled in the Negev and southern Judah.

In the second century, this remnant of Edomites who were known then as Idumeans, were defeated by the Maccabeans and Hasmoneans.

There are several factors which make clear that none of these interpretations can be correct.

First, the text of Obadiah 18 makes clear that the Jews will be God’s instrument to exterminate the descendants of Esau.

Furthermore, it makes clear that the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah will be reunited in the future to destroy Edom as a national entity to the extent that there will be no remnant whatsoever among Esau’s descendants or in other words, they will be exterminated.

Each of these interpretations have other nations such as Babylon destroying Esau’s descendants.

Israel or the southern kingdom of Judah when she returned from exile in Babylon never wiped out the Edomites in the sixth century B.C.

The northern kingdom as we noted never returned to the land.

Furthermore, nowhere in the past has the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel been reunited to destroy Edom as a national entity and leaving absolutely no remnant among Esau’s descendants.

However, Obadiah 18 does make clear that the ten tribes which formed the northern kingdom of Israel will in the future be reunited with those tribes which formed the southern kingdom of Judah, which were Judah and Benjamin.

Never in Israel’s history have these two kingdoms been reunited and wiped out the Edomite people.

Furthermore, Obadiah 20-21, which advances upon Obadiah 18-19 reveal that Israel’s borders will be extended because of this destruction of the Edomites and other nations and these borders are described in Obadiah 20-21.

We know that Israel will inherit a large area of real estate during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, which includes the lands mentioned in Obadiah 20-21.

Therefore, it would appear that the six prophecies contained in Obadiah 18 will find their fulfillment in the future during the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

Though it is true that Edom eventually lost her national identity a long time ago, Daniel 11:40-45, Isaiah 11:10-12:6 and 63:1-6 reveal that Edom will be a national entity again during the seventieth week of Daniel.

This is not something new in history that God has done since the nation of Israel was not a national entity from 70 A.D. to the twentieth century when in 1948 she became a national entity again with borders and a central government and military.

Of course, many passages describe the Lord Jesus Christ destroying by Himself His enemies at His Second Advent (Joel 3:12; Zech. 14:3-5; Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 19:11-20:3), however, He could be mentioned by Himself when He in fact will lead an army to fight against His enemies and which army is mentioned in Revelation 19:14.

A comparison of these prophecies in Revelation and in the Old Testament indicate that Jesus Christ will lead an angelic army as well as a human army composed of Jews who trust in Him to destroy Antichrist and the tribulation armies which oppose Him and the nation of Israel.